We have created an early summer mead called ``Bankan'' that uses plenty of Kawachi Bankan carefully grown using organic farming methods by Miyamoto Farm in Uwajima!
〈Uwajima→Yasu〉
Miyamoto Farm, where we used the blood orange mead “Miyamoto,” grows a lot of citrus fruits. Among them, the large, bright yellow fruit that left a strong impression on my memory was Kawachi Bankan. Bankan, also known as Japanese grapefruit, has a gorgeous yuzu-like scent, but Okada and I were surprised by its sharp scent reminiscent of grapefruit.
"Since you came all the way here, I'll go over there next time."
The other day, Mr. Miyamoto drove out of Shikoku for the first time in decades and came to our factory in Yasu. They were so happy that they shared a lot of evening snacks for everyone. We prepared the mead using a luxurious amount of evening fruit produced by such a wonderful producer.
〈Tasting Note〉
The color is a transparent pale lemon yellow. The first thing you notice is the slightly spicy yuzu scent, followed by the gentle scent of grapefruit and honey. The juicy fruit juice and refreshing acidity fill your mouth. It has a firm finish and is well-chilled, making it useful for a long time from toasting to mealtime. I would definitely like to try it with piping hot fried chicken or mapo tofu. I have a hunch that this bottle will give me an option other than beer when I think it's beer.
Honey: Honey from Myanmar, honey from Acacia Fruit: Kawachi Bankan fermentation: Main fermentation by mixing the entire amount of fruit juice with honey. During the ripening process, dry peels of late citrus fruits are added, and after a few days, fresh peels and fruit juice are added again and the wine is aged in the tank.
Alcohol: 10.3%
pH: 3.49
Residual sugar: 41.8g/L
Contents: 750ml
〈Mead making〉
After hand-squeezing all of the Kawachi Bankan, it is mixed with honey for main fermentation. I wanted to make the most of the fruit's scent, so I used a low temperature and long fermentation schedule. I make homemade dry peel from late citrus fruits and add it after the main fermentation. Afterwards, we add fresh peel and fruit juice from the late citrus fruits to give it a fresher aroma and acidity.
We were able to recreate the juicy feeling of fruit juice that you get when you're engrossed in evening fruit in the field, in a bottle. I think it would be great if ``late night sweets'' that are well-chilled on sweaty days become a trend this summer.